The 2021 America's Cup in March 2021 was the 36th staging of the America's Cup yacht race. It was contested on the inner Hauraki Gulf off Auckland, New Zealand, between the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Circolo della Vela Sicilia of Italy. The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron's boat was Te Rehutai owned and sailed by the Emirates Team New Zealand syndicate. Circolo della Vela Sicilia's boat was Luna Rossa, owned and sailed by the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli syndicate. Both boats are AC75 class high-performance foiling monohulls, a class designed specifically for this competition. The Cup was won by Team New Zealand, 7âÂÂ3.
The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron was the Defending Club, having won the preceding 35th America's Cup in 2017, and was therefore responsible for organizing and hosting this event. The Challenging Club was Circolo della Vela Sicilia, whose team won the selection series â the 2021 Prada Cup â and was also the Challenger of Record, having been the first yacht club to make a valid challenge under the Deed of Gift of the America's Cup after Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron won the 35th America's Cup.
The 36th America's Cup was raced under rules agreed between the Defending Club and the Challenging Club within the legal framework of the Deed of Gift of the America's Cup. In AC competition, the club whose boat is first to win seven races wins the cup and becomes the Defending Club, host, and organizer of the 37th America's Cup, after receiving a valid challenge from a yacht club from another country that meets the conditions of the deed.
The 35th edition of the America's cup was held between 17 and 26 June 2017. It was contested between the challenger, Emirates Team New Zealand, and the defender, Oracle Team USA. Team New Zealand won the cup match with a score of 7 to 1 over Oracle Team USA. The successful challenge made the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron the Defending club for the 36th America's cup.
The protocol for the 36th America's cup was released on 29 September 2017 with Auckland, New Zealand as the intended venue for the event. Grant Dalton, the CEO of Emirates Team New Zealand, confirmed that the fashion brand Prada had secured the right to be the exclusive naming and presenting sponsor of all events comprising the 36th America's Cup. This included the Challenger Selection Series which would officially be named The Prada Cup. This replaced the Louis Vuitton Cup that had been used as the Challenger Selection Series between 1983 and 2017.
The class rule for the AC75, the foiling monohulls that would be used for the event, was published on 29 March 2018.
The three person Arbitration Panel was appointed on 10 May 2018. The chairperson was David Tillett (AUS) who was joined by Henry Peter (SUI) and Graham McKenzie (NZL). All three are respected lawyers who have experience working with previous America's Cup adjudication bodies.
In August 2018, an "America's Cup Overture" was held in Cowes, England, 167 years after the original America's Cup race occurred at the same location. At the event, Auckland was confirmed as the venue for the cup match and challenger series with the event dates and courses also announced.
The event was originally scheduled to start on 6 March 2021, but was delayed until 10 March due to a COVID-19 lockdown in Auckland. Iain Murray was the race director.
Entries for challengers opened on 1 January 2018 and closed on 30 June 2018 with late entries accepted until 30 November 2018. Heats for challengers and the defender, known as World Series, were held in 2020 in the brand new AC75 class. Challenger selection series was held in January and February 2021 with the America's Cup match against the defender in March.
Prior to Emirates Team New Zealand winning the 35th America's Cup in 2017, Oracle (the defender at the time) and four of the five challengers had signed a framework that would have seen the 36th America's Cup in 2019 and the 37th in 2021, with the existing 35th Cup class boats, the AC50s, and a pre-selection America's Cup World Series tournament with the same boats. Team New Zealand, the eventual champion, had opted to not sign the framework agreement, and were not bound by its terms, freeing them to set their defence for 2021 with a brand new format and class.
Circolo della Vela Sicilia was the "Challenger of Record" for the 36th America's Cup. Their team, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, currently led by Max Sirena, had previously lost to Emirates Team New Zealand in the 2000 America's Cup, the 2007, and the 2013 Louis Vuitton Cup finals. On 13 March 2018, Jimmy Spithill announced he was returning to the team, after his tenure as helmsman in the 2007 America's Cup.
The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron began accepting challenges from further eligible yacht clubs, in addition to the Challenger of Record, on 1 January 2018.
Ineos Team UK entered and was led by Ben Ainslie.
The New York Yacht Club (NYYC) entered AC36, under the syndicate name American Magic, with a team led by Terry Hutchinson and funded by Doug DeVos, John J. "Hap" Fauth, and Roger Penske. In May 2018 it was announced that Dean Barker would helm the boat. "American Magic" refers to the first Cup winner, the yacht America of 1851, and the first defender, NYYC's yacht Magic, who successfully defended in 1870. The America's Cup trophy was held by the NYYC for 132 years until 1983. The NYYC's reign was the longest winning streak â as measured by years â in the history of all sports.
At the close of the late entry notice period, 30 November 2018, eight notices of challenge were submitted to the defender. There was speculation about entries from Australia and China, and second challengers from Italy and the United States. After processing those entries by order of reception, by the end of year 2018 three additional challenges were accepted: Iain Percy and the Royal Malta Yacht Club; a second American challenge from Taylor Canfield and the Long Beach Yacht Club; and a national challenge from the Netherlands issued by Royal Dutch Yacht Club.
On 2 April 2019, the New York Yacht Club, through team American Magic, filed for arbitration relating to the acceptance of the three late entry teams. On 15 May 2019, the America's Cup Arbitration Panel released their decision denying American Magic's application and allowed the late entry teams to compete.
On 31 May 2019, the Royal Malta Yacht Club announced that they were withdrawing as a challenger.
On 1 July 2019, the Koninklijke Nederlandsche Zeil- & Roeivereeniging announced that it was also withdrawing as a challenger, whereas the Long Beach Yacht Club confirmed their ongoing commitment.
On 9 December 2020, Stars & Stripes (Long Beach Yacht Club) withdrew from the competition.
Starting 29 January 2021, Luna Rossa faced the New York Yacht Club in a best-of-7 semi-final for the challenger's Prada Cup; by 30 January, the Italians had completed a 4âÂÂ0 sweep to advance to the Prada Cup finals. In the best-of-13 finals, Luna Rosa needed only 8 races, ending on 21 February, to defeat the INEOS Team 7âÂÂ1, advancing from the challenger's pool.